Files and links (1)
Accepted (AM)Open Access (License Unspecified), Open
Journal article
Benefits and Risks: A Systematic Review of Information and Communication Technology Use by Autistic People
Autism in adulthood, v 3(1)
01 Mar 2021
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Background: Communication via the internet is a regular feature of everyday interactions for most people, including autistic people. Researchers have investigated how autistic people use information and communication technology (ICT) since the early 2000s. However, no systematic review has been conducted to summarize findings.
Objective: This study aims to review existing evidence presented by studies about how autistic people use ICT to communicate and provide a framework for understanding contributions, gaps, and opportunities for this literature.
Methods: Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA) statement, we conducted a comprehensive review across five databases, searching for studies investigating how autistic youth and adults use ICT to communicate. Authors reviewed the articles for inclusion and assessed methodological quality.
Results: Thirty-two studies met the eligibility criteria, including 19 quantitative studies, 12 qualitative studies, and 1 mixed methods study, with data from 3026 autistic youth (n = 9 studies) and adults (n = 23 studies). Ratings suggest that the evidence base is emergent. Underrepresented groups in the sample included autistic women, transgendered autistic people, non-White autistic people, low income autistic people, and minimally speaking and/or autistic adults with co- occurring intellectual disability. Three main themes emerged, including variation in ICT communication use among autistic youth and adults, benefits and drawbacks experienced during ICT communication use, and the engagement of autistic youth and adults in the online autism community.
Conclusions: Further exploration of the positive social capital that autistic people gain participating in online autism communities would allow for the development of strengths-based interventions. Additional research on how autistic people navigate sexuality and ICTs is needed to identify mechanisms for reducing vulnerability online. Additional scholarship about underrepresented groups is needed to investigate and confirm findings regarding ICT communication use for gender, racial, and socioeconomic minority groups.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Benefits and Risks: A Systematic Review of Information and Communication Technology Use by Autistic People
- Creators
- Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick - Drexel UniversityLaura Graham Holmes - Hunter CollegeCollette Sosnowy - Brown UniversityJessica Walton - Drexel UniversityKathleen Carley - Carnegie Mellon University
- Publication Details
- Autism in adulthood, v 3(1)
- Publisher
- Mary Ann Liebert, Inc
- Number of pages
- 13
- Grant note
- UJ2MC31073 / Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000752445200009
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85107819801
- Other Identifier
- 991019169538504721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychology, Developmental
- Rehabilitation